Support frame for positive pressure blower

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides support frames for positive pressure blowers having one or more wheels mounted at a lower corner of the frame, wherein the wheels are mounted to roll in a direction that is perpendicular to the flow of air through the blower. This sideways orientation of the wheels allows a frame carrying a blower to be easily moved from side to side, such as when placed into or removed from a side compartment on an emergency vehicle, and allows such a frame carrying a blower to be easily tilted, turned and rolled around at the scene of a fire in much the same manner as a wheelbarrow. Embodiments of the invention may include an upper handle or grip which allows a user to control the frames by tilting and rolling them around on the wheels. Embodiments of the invention may include a support bracket for holding a battery or other power supply.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.15/888,992 filed on Feb. 5, 2018, and claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/455,173 filed on Feb. 6, 2017, and alsoclaims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/563,583 filedon Sep. 26, 2017, all of which applications are incorporated herein bythis reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to firefighting equipment, and inparticular to new and improved support frames for a positive pressureblower devices and related methods of use.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Modern techniques of fighting structural fires often involve the use ofa positive pressure blower (fan) in order to remove smoke and provideventilation inside burning buildings. The quick evacuation of smoke froma building decreases the potential for smoke damage, and improvesvisibility and breathing for fire fighters so that they may moreefficiently and safely fight the fire.

Because of the unique circumstances in which positive pressure blowersare used, they require several critical features not found in ordinaryhouse fans. In most cases, positive pressure blowers are transported inan emergency vehicle (e.g. a fire engine) which has side compartmentsfor holding firefighting equipment. A typical compartment for holding apositive pressure blower may be narrow, tall and deep, and ordinarilyclosed with a tall, narrow door. Most positive pressure blowers includea wide fan mounted in a housing that is tall and narrow. The fan housingis usually mounted on a frame. As a result, positive pressure blowersare typically stored sideways in a storage compartment on an emergencyvehicle.

Existing positive pressure blowers are provided with wheels that allowthe blowers to be easily moved about at a fire scene. Such wheels areordinarily oriented in parallel with the flow of air passing through theblower. This allows such a blower to be moved forward and backward whilestill pointing in generally the same direction. However, such blowersare not easily moved from side to side at a fire scene. In addition,blowers having wheels mounted for such forward-backward movement are noteasily placed into or removed from side storage compartments onemergency vehicles. This is because the wheels are mounted perpendicularto the sideways movement needed to insert and remove the blower from thecompartment. This can damage the wheels, and result in a waste ofvaluable time, since such a blower must be dragged out of the storagecompartment before it can be used.

In addition to being strong, lightweight, and designed to fit into acompartment on a fire fighting vehicle, positive pressure blowers mustalso be portable. This means they must operate using gasoline,batteries, or some other portable power source.

It is therefore desirable to provide portable battery-operated positivepressure blowers and methods of use having a frame with wheels that areoriented perpendicular to the flow of air through the blower, so thatthe blower may be easily moved in a sideways fashion and may be quicklyand easily placed into and removed from a compartment in the side of afirefighting vehicle.

The present invention provides such a method and apparatus, while at thesame time providing additional useful features.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the matters described above by providingsupport frames for positive pressure blowers having one or more wheelsmounted at one or more lower corners of a frame, wherein the wheels aremounted to roll in a direction that is perpendicular to the flow of airthrough the blower. This sideways orientation of the wheels allows aframe carrying a blower to be easily moved from side to side, such aswhen placed into or removed from a side compartment on an emergencyvehicle. This orientation makes the frame easier to roll into and out ofa fire truck compartment, which is ergonomically better for firefightersby reducing the potential for lower back injuries.

Embodiments of the frames of the present invention may be provided in agenerally box-like shape, defining at least two pairs of lower cornersin the frame. In such embodiments, a pair of wheels are mounted inparallel to each other and perpendicular to the flow of air, at one ofthe pairs of lower corners of the frame, allowing the frame to be tiltedupward so that all of the weight of the frame rests on these wheels.This allows the frame carrying the blower to be tilted and moved aboutin the same manner as a wheelbarrow. This wheel positioning makes itpossible to move and turn the frame in any of a number of directions,facilitating easy positioning at a firefighting scene. In mostembodiments, a handle, grip or extension is provided in an upper part ofthe frame to facilitate tilting and controlling the frame when it isbeing rolled from place to place. In some embodiments, the handle may beintegrated into the frame such that it is not necessary to cause thehandle to be flipped out for movement of the frame and flipped back forstorage of the frame.

It is to be appreciated that embodiments of the frames of the presentinvention are designed to receive a positive pressure blower, such thatthe frames have a front, a back and sides defining an interior forreceiving the blower. In most embodiments, the lower portion or base ofthe frame has a rectangular shape, such that a first wheel may bemounted at a lower corner on the front of the frame (e.g. right front),and a second wheel may be mounted in parallel at a corresponding lowercorner on the back of the frame (e.g. right rear). This allows the frameto be tilted on its (right) side for support by said wheels. In suchembodiments, additional wheels may or may not be provided on theopposite lower corners of the front and back of the frame (e.g. leftfront, left rear). If such additional wheels are provided, the frame maytravel sideways on all four wheels. However, in most embodiments onlyone pair of wheels are provided, either on the front/back of the lowerright corners, or the front/back of the lower left corners. In theseembodiments, stops or stands are provided on the opposite lower cornersof the front and back. Accordingly, in these embodiments the frame mayonly be rolled if it is tilted up on the set of wheels provided.

The upper portion of the frame may have different shapes in differentembodiments, and is preferably designed to provide for easy grasping bya firefighter at a fire scene. For example and without limitation, avery simple embodiment may provide a generally cube-like structurehaving rectangular base, generally rectangular sides, and a generallyrectangular top surrounding a blower mounted inside. One or more handlesmay be attached to or integrated into the top of the frame, and mayextend out or up from the frame for easy grasping. However, in otherembodiments, such as those illustrated herein, the back of the frame (orthe front) may extend to a top portion having or defining a handle, andthe front of the frame (or the back) may extend only part of the way tothe top, defining an open space above this portion. Alternatively or inaddition, the side(s) of the frame may extend fully or partially to thetop. In such embodiments, the top portion of the front of the frame maybe angled inward such that any grip or handle thereon is centrallylocated for easy grasping.

It is to be appreciated that the upper and/or lower portions of theframes of the present invention may be provided in a variety ofdifferent shapes and angles in order to facilitate mounting of differentsizes and styles of blowers in the frames, and to provide one or morehandles or grips in a convenient location for the user.

In some embodiments, one or more support brackets may be provided on theframes of the present invention to hold a power supply, such as abattery or battery pack for an electric blower, or a fuel tank for agas-operated blower.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide supportframes for positive pressure blowers having one or more sidewaysoriented lower wheels that allow the frames to be quickly and easilyremoved from a side compartment on an emergency vehicle.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide support framesfor positive pressure blowers having one or more sideways mounted lowerwheels thereon that allow the frames to be tilted and rolled around onthe wheel(s) in much the same manner as a wheelbarrow.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide support framesfor positive pressure blowers having a generally rectangular base with apair of lower wheels mounted in parallel at lower corners thereof, andan upper portion having at least one handle or grip thereon which allowsa user to grasp and control the frames by tilting and rolling themaround on the wheels.

It is also an important object of the present invention to providesupport frames as described herein for use with battery operatedpositive pressure blowers.

Additional objects of the invention will be apparent from the detaileddescriptions and the claims herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a right rear perspective view of an embodiment of the presentinvention showing a blower in phantom lines.

FIG. 2 is a left rear perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a left side elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a right side elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a tilted rear elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present inventionwith no blower.

FIG. 11 is a front view of an embodiment of the present invention with ablower mounted therein.

FIG. 12A is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention with ablower mounted therein.

FIG. 12B is an opposite side view of the embodiment of FIG. 12A.

FIG. 13 is a close up view of an embodiment of a power supply of anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a different close up view of an embodiment of a power supplyof an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present inventionwith a blower and power supply mounted therein.

FIG. 16 is a set of schematic drawings for an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 17 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention showing a blower and alternative power supply support, with abattery mounted therein.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 17 showingdetail of the alternative embodiment of the power supply support, withan embodiment of a battery mounted therein.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 17 showingdetail of the alternative embodiment of the power supply support, withno battery mounted therein.

FIG. 20 is a rear perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 17 withoutthe power supply or power supply support.

FIG. 21 is front perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 20.

FIG. 22 is a left side view of the embodiment of FIG. 20.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designatelike or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and referringparticularly to FIGS. 1-2, it is seen that this illustrated embodimentof the invention includes a support frame 10 made up of elongated sturdymembers, preferably made of metal (such as, without limitation,aluminum, steel or the like), although embodiments may be made of otherrigid and sturdy materials such as, without limitation, plastic oracrylic. It is important that the material from which members of theframe are made may be attached or adhered to each other, and that theyallow mounting features to be provided for supporting a positivepressure blower. Solid or tubular materials may be used, or other strongstructures such as I-beams.

The exemplary frame of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1-9 of theillustrations has a lower generally rectangular base 11 made up of afront member 12, rear member 13, side member 14 and opposite side member15. In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 1-9, front and rear members12 and 13 are generally parallel to each other; and side members 14 and15 are generally parallel to each other, and generally perpendicular tothe front and rear members. The illustrated base 11 therefore forms fourdistinct corners. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-9, a pair of rotatablewheels 21 and 22 are provided in parallel to each other, and generallyparallel to front/back members 12 and 13, which is perpendicular to theflow of air through the blower. In this embodiment, wheels 21 and 22 arelocated at generally opposite ends of side member 14, at lower cornersof the base 11. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-9, wheels 21 and 22 areattached to upper members 16 and 18, but in other embodiments, thewheels could be attached to front and back members 12 and 13, or theycould be attached to side member 14. In some embodiments it is to beappreciated that side member 14 may act as an axle for wheels 21 and 22.It is to be appreciated that in other embodiments, wheels 21 and 22 maybe located at generally opposite ends of side member 15, at other lowercorners of the base 11. In such embodiments, wheels 21 and 22 may beattached to front and back members 12 and 13, but in other embodiments,the wheels could be attached to upper members 17 and 19, or they couldbe attached to side member 15. In some embodiments it is to beappreciated that side member 15 may act as an axle for wheels 21 and 22.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 1-9, only two wheels are providedat generally opposite ends of side member 14; and one or morenon-movable feet or stops 23 are provided underneath base 11 atgenerally opposite ends of the opposite side member 15. It is to beappreciated that in other embodiments, wheels 21 and 22 may be locatedat generally opposite ends of side member 15, and one or morenon-movable feet or stops 23 are provided underneath base 11 atgenerally opposite ends of the opposite side member 14. In someembodiments additional stops 23 may also be provided adjacent to thewheels and side member 14, to provide more secure footing when the frameis not being moved. Instead of being separate structures, stops 23 maybe provided in the form of lower extensions of one or more of theupwardly extending members 16-19 described more fully below. In otherembodiments, a second set of wheels may be provided at generallyopposite ends of side member 15 instead of stops 23, in addition to afirst set of wheels at generally opposite ends of side member 14.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 1-9, a set of four generallyupwardly extending members 16-19 are provided, one at each corner ofbase 11. These upwardly extending members may or may not be straight,and may extend partially or fully to a top of the frame. In someembodiments, the upwardly extending members may all be the same length,and may connect to an upper rectangular structure having a size andshape similar to the base 11. Additional members or handles (not shown)may be attached to or integrated into such an upper structure to allowthe frame to be grasped and manipulated. In some embodiments, such asthose of the exemplary illustrations of FIGS. 1-9, some of the upwardlyextending members may extend part-way to the top, while others mayextend fully to the top. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, it is seen that inthis embodiment, two front members 16 and 17 extend upwardly from theopposite ends of base member 12, member 16 extending from the corner of12 and 14, and member 17 extending from the corner of 12 and 15. Also inthis embodiment, two rear members 18 and 19 extend upwardly from theopposite ends of base member 13, member 18 extending from the corner of13 and 14, and member 19 extending from the corner of 13 and 15.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 1-9, upwardly extending frontmembers 16 and 17 extend part way up, and are then angled or bent toform cross members 16A and 17A such that they extend across the frameand attach to rear members 18 and 19. However, in this embodiment, rearmembers 18 and 19 extend further in an upwardly direction and are thenangled such that they connect to each other forming an upper crossmember 20. Cross member 20 is designed to be available for grasping by afirefighter in order to manipulate the frame (see FIG. 10), and may belocated in any suitable location, such as directly above lower member13; or in a mirror image embodiment, directly above lower member 12. Inthe embodiment of FIGS. 1-9, members 18 and 19 are angled such thatmember 20 extends across a central portion of the frame, and is notdirectly above lower member 12 or 13. Another embodiment may be a mirrorimage of the illustrated embodiment. It is to be appreciated thatnumerous other configurations for a cross member 20 may be provided,including without limitation, a diagonally oriented cross memberattached to upper members 16 and 19, or to upper members 17 and 18. Itis also to be appreciated that one or more handles (not shown) may beattached to or incorporated into cross member 20, or to any of theupwardly extending members to allow manipulation of the frame.

It is to be appreciated that in other embodiments, the base may have anon-rectangular shape (e.g., members 12, 13, 14 and 15 may or may not bestraight), so long as at least one wheel (preferably two) may be mountedin the vicinity of one or more lower corners thereof. Although it ispreferred that a rectangular base be provided with four upwardlyextending members, it is to be appreciated that in other embodimentsless than four upwardly extending members may be provided on arectangular base, and a base having fewer than four corners may beprovided. For example and without limitation, rear members 18 and 19 mayboth be provided, along with cross member 20, but only one of frontmembers 16 or 17 may be provided. This would leave an open corner in theframe that would facilitate, for example, receipt of a large oroversized positive pressure blower.

In another example, without limitation, base 11 may be triangularlyshaped such that wheels 21 and 22 are provided across from each otheralong a first cross member, and that two other cross members extend awayat an angle connecting to each other, forming a base with three corners.In other embodiments, a triangular base may have only one wheel at thepointed end, with no wheels at a wider end, giving it both a shape andfunctionality very similar to that of a wheelbarrow. In suchembodiments, up to three upwardly extending members may be provided,extending from one or more of the corners of the base, each upwardlyextending member having appropriate lengths and angles to support apositive pressure blower.

It is to be appreciated that the spacing, positioning and angles of thebase and of the upwardly extending members may be adjusted in order toprovide support for different positive pressure blowers of differentsizes and shapes.

In some embodiments, a support bracket for a power supply such as abattery pack may be provided on the base or on an upwardly extendingmember. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 11-15, abracket 25 is provided on upwardly extending member 18 for supporting apower supply such as battery unit 24, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. Theexemplary bracket illustrated in FIGS. 11-14 includes a back portionthat may be attached to member 18, and two flanges, one on either sideof the back portion, defining an interior region in the illustratedbracket assembly 25 for receiving a battery unit 24. Controls for such abattery unit 24 including on/off, USB port and power level indicator areshown in FIG. 14.

In an alternative embodiment shown in FIGS. 17-19, it is seen that abottom tray 26 may be provided as part of a power supply support bracket25 to provide additional support for various battery units 24 havingdifferent sizes and shapes. The exemplary bracket illustrated in FIGS.17-19, includes a back portion that may be attached to member 18, andtwo flanges, one on either side of the back portion, and a bottom tray26 defining an interior region in the illustrated bracket assembly forreceiving a power supply such as battery unit 24.

As shown in FIGS. 17-19, a pair of tabs or lips 27 may be provided oneach of the side flanges of bracket 25 for engagement with a strap 28which may be used to help secure a battery unit 24 into bracket 25. Tabs27 may be curved or folded back against the sides of bracket 25 as shownin FIG. 19 to help prevent strap 28 from becoming dislodged, therebyhelping to secure the battery unit 24. Strap 28 may be made of a strongbut stretchable material such as neoprene, rubber other suitable elasticmaterial, such as, without limitation, a bungee cord.

In the alternative embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 17-22, it is seenthat the upper member 18 has been modified to accommodate a differentstyle power supply 24 utilizing a larger bracket 25 with bottom tray 26.In this embodiment, upper member 18 is angled outward near wheel 22, andbends out a location that is farther upward (compare FIG. 5 to FIG. 22).It is to be appreciated that upward member 18, as well as upward members16, 17 and 19 may each be provided in different shapes or lengths,and/or with different angles in order to accommodate larger or smallerblowers, larger or smaller power supplies, etc. It is also to beappreciated that all of base members 12-15 and frame members 16-19 maybe provided in different shapes or lengths, and/or with different anglesto provide an overall profile for the entire unit that may be larger orsmaller in order to be suitable for fitting the entire unit into aparticular emergency vehicle compartment.

One or more openings, bolt holes, fasteners or other mounting devicesmay be provided in one or more of the various members of the frame foruse in attaching a positive pressure blower to the frame. The locations,sizes and shapes of these mounting devices may vary according to theparticular blower to be mounted on the frame. Further support structuresand brackets may be provided to hold any wires, tubes, controls oradjustment devices associated with the and/or power supply blower inuse.

It is to be understood that variations and modifications of the presentinvention may be made without departing from the scope thereof. It isalso to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited bythe specific embodiments disclosed herein, but only in accordance withthe appended claims when read in light of the foregoing specification.

What is claimed is:
 1. A support frame for a positive pressure blowercomprising: a. a frame comprising: i. a generally rectangular basehaving generally parallel elongated front and rear support members, andgenerally parallel left and right side support members, wherein saidside support members are generally perpendicular to and attached to saidfront and rear support members; and ii. four upwardly extending supportmembers, each such member extending from an end of one of said front andrear support members forming four corners; and b. two rotatable wheelsmounted across from each other along said front and rear membersadjacent to two respective corners of said frame such that said wheelsrotate in parallel to said front and rear members, and wherein saidwheels are mounted substantially flush against an outer edge of saidframe.
 2. The support frame of claim 1 wherein said wheels do notprotrude substantially beyond the outer edge of said frame.
 3. Thesupport frame of claim 1 further comprising at least one cross memberattached to and extending between two of said upwardly extendingmembers.
 4. The support frame of claim 1 further comprising a pair ofstops provided underneath said base across from each other adjacent tothe remaining two corners of said frame.
 5. The support frame of claim 1further comprising two additional rotatable wheels mounted across fromeach other adjacent to the two remaining corners of said frame such thatsaid wheels rotate in parallel to said front and rear members.
 6. Thesupport frame of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of openings foruse in attaching a positive pressure blower to said frame.
 7. Thesupport frame of claim 1 further comprising a support bracket mounted onsaid frame for holding a power supply.
 8. The support frame of claim 1further comprising a positive pressure blower mounted in said supportframe.
 9. A support frame for a positive pressure blower comprising: a.a first pair of generally parallel support members, and a second pair ofgenerally parallel support members that are longer than said firstsupport members, said first support members being generallyperpendicular to said second support members, wherein said first supportmembers are attached to said second support members forming a generallyrectangular base; b. four generally upwardly extending support members,each such member extending from an end of one of said second supportmembers; c. a pair of rotatable wheels mounted in parallel to each otherand across from each other along corresponding ends of said secondsupport members, wherein said wheels are immediately adjacent to,aligned with, and rotate in parallel to said second support members. 10.The support frame of claim 9 wherein said wheels do not protrudesubstantially beyond an outer edge of said second support members.
 11. Asupport frame for a positive pressure blower comprising: a. a generallyrectangular base comprising generally parallel elongated front and rearsupport members, and generally parallel left and right side supportmembers, said side support members being generally perpendicular to saidfront and rear support members, wherein ends of said left and rightsupport members are attached to said front and rear support members; b.four upwardly extending support members, wherein a first upwardlyextending support member extends from one end of said front memberforming a right front corner, a second upwardly extending support memberextends from an opposite end of said front member forming a left frontcorner, a third upwardly extending support member extends from one endof said rear member forming a right rear corner, and a fourth upwardlyextending support member extends from an opposite end of said rearmember forming a left rear corner, c. two rotatable wheels mountedacross from each other at one of said left front and said left rearcorners, or said right front and said right rear corners, wherein one ofsaid wheels is immediately adjacent to, aligned with, and rotates inparallel to said front support member and the other of said wheels isimmediately adjacent to, aligned with, and rotates in parallel to saidrear support member.
 12. The support frame of claim 11 wherein saidwheels do not protrude substantially beyond an outer edge of said frontand rear support members.
 13. A support frame for a positive pressureblower comprising: a. a generally horizontal base comprising a firstpair of generally parallel support members, and a second pair ofgenerally parallel support members that are longer than said firstsupport members, said first support members being generallyperpendicular to said second support members, wherein ends of said firstsupport members are attached to said second support members forming agenerally rectangular shape with four intersections; b. four generallyvertically extending support members, each such member having one endattached to and extending from each of said four intersections of saidbase; c. at least one pair of wheels mounted across from each other ontwo of said vertically extending support members near two of saidintersections wherein one of said wheels is immediately adjacent to,aligned with, and rotates in parallel to one of said second supportmembers, and the other of said wheels is immediately adjacent to,aligned with, and rotates in parallel to the other of said secondsupport members.
 14. A support frame for a positive pressure blowercomprising: a. a frame comprising: i. a generally rectangular basehaving generally parallel elongated front and rear support members, andgenerally parallel left and right side support members, wherein saidside support members are generally perpendicular to and attached to saidfront and rear support members; and ii. four upwardly extending supportmembers, each such member extending from an end of one of said front andrear support members forming four corners; and b. two rotatable wheelsmounted across from each other on two of said upwardly extending supportmembers adjacent to two respective corners of said frame such that saidwheels rotate in parallel to said front and rear members, and whereinoutside edges of said wheels do not protrude substantially beyond anouter edge of said frame.
 15. The support frame of claim 14 furthercomprising at least one cross member attached to and extending betweentwo of said upwardly extending members.
 16. The support frame of claim14 further comprising a pair of stops provided underneath said baseacross from each other adjacent to the remaining two corners of saidframe.
 17. The support frame of claim 14 further comprising twoadditional rotatable wheels mounted across from each other adjacent tothe two remaining corners of said frame such that said wheels rotate inparallel to said front and rear members.
 18. The support frame of claim14 further comprising a plurality of openings for use in attaching apositive pressure blower to said frame.
 19. The support frame of claim14 further comprising a support bracket mounted on said frame forholding a power supply.
 20. The support frame of claim 14 furthercomprising a positive pressure blower mounted in said support frame.